Going Through the Stages
by Helvetica Compressed
Summary: Join me as I attempt to do the impossible: Make a realistic girl-falls-into-the-Naruto-universe story.  Pairings will be decided as the story progresses.  Rating subject to change.
1. Denial

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, plot lines, etc. and I do not claim to.

**Author's Notes:  
><strong>I wasn't going to publish the first chapter of this story until I had at least five of the chapters done, but I wanted to see what everyone thinks of the story first. I apologize if the pace seems a little slow at first, but I decided that if I wanted to make a realistic girl-falls-into-the-Naruto-universe story then it was going to have to start out a little slow. I do promise that the pace will pick up and there will be much action to come, you just have to stick through the first few chapters to get there. I've decided against putting my character right in the middle of Konoha to begin with, and my hope is to make Haruka as believable of a person as I can. As I said in the description pairings will be decided as the story goes, if at all. I don't want the story to be centered around a romantic relationship, but if something blossoms then who am I to stop it? It is possible that the rating will go up at some point during the story, I'm not exactly sure how much swearing, violence, etc. I want to put in yet, so for now I'm going to keep it at T. As always, constructive criticism is much appreciated, as I'd love to know what you think of Haruka's character and what-not. And now, without further ado, please enjoy.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1:<strong>

**Denial**

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><p>They say there are five stages that humans go through in order to reach acceptance of a particularly unsettling or life-changing event. First is denial; failure to acknowledge an unacceptable truth or emotion or to admit it into consciousness, it is used as a defense mechanism. When the individual realizes that the denial cannot continue, they begin the second stage of anger. From there comes bargaining, which eventually turns into depression. If the individual has successfully undergone and completed these four steps they will, in theory, reach the fifth and final stage; acceptance. Haruka Suzuki was somewhere in-between stages three and four.<p>

"-and I promise I'll save the rainforest, give all my money to the less fortunate, donate every last drop of blood in my body, and I'll even stop global warming, just-_please_!" On her knees with her hands clasped in front of her in desperation as she shouted towards the sky, the girl was definitely a sight to see. She was on the verge of a mental breakdown, and it had taken her less than ten minutes to get there.

The last thing she could remember was collapsing into her soft, warm bed for a short afternoon nap, which had gone exactly according to plan up until she had woken up to find herself not in the comfort of her room, but in the middle of what she would would later come to lovingly describe as "_the worst goddamn forest to sleep in ever_".

Her first reaction upon opening her eyes had been to give herself a pat on the back for how creative her mind was when coming up with a location for a dream. The colors and textures were so real, she could almost _feel_ the dirt beneath her palms as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. What little sky she could see through the dense canopy of leaves above her was more blue than she had ever seen in her life, and the soft sound of running water from a small stream only a few feet away made for a beautiful setting. It also happened to make her unbelievably thirsty. With less grace than she would like to admit, she scrambled to her feet and shuffled over to the stream, where she immediately collapsed and dipped her hands into the satisfyingly cold water, bringing it up to her lips and- _wait. Since when does water feel like anything in a dream? Since when was it even possible to drink something?_ And so, the blissful world of ignorance and denial that Haruka had created was shattered all at once.

The next five minutes were a blur of curse words so foul they could make a sailor cringe, and panicked running back and forth. Haruka had never been the type to outwardly overreact to a situation, but she felt justified in the fact that this wasn't the kind of thing that happened in real life. People don't wake up in the middle of a forest without any knowledge of getting there- at least _normal_ people don't, and the last time she checked she was about as normal as they come. That sort of thing just didn't _happen_. She allowed herself the five-minute panic-attack and then promptly proceeded to collapse in a pathetic heap on the ground, content on never moving again.

"Where the hell _am_ I?" She groaned, thumping an exhausted fist on the ground. How she longed to be back under her cozy warm sheets in her wonderfully soft bed, instead of the hard ground she was laying on. "And why don't I remember how I got here?" She asked, knowing only she could hear. "_And why am I talking to myself_?" She really must be going crazy. Rolling herself onto her back and staring up at the leaves, she took a few deep breaths in to calm herself.

_Alright Haruka, let's just try to look at the bright side of things. You still have all your clothing on, that's a start. Nothing seems to be hurt, also a good thing. And, hey, you're finally getting some good-old fresh air in those lungs, so not everything's going so bad! You can get some water from the stream, and there has to be something in this forest to eat, you've just gotta get off your lazy butt and go find it! Now come on, no more feeling sorry for yourself, let's do this!_

Her little pep-talk, while strange, helped her find the strength to push herself up off the ground and take a better look around where she was. There were no paths or trails that she could see, but the stream seemed to get larger the further she looked down it, it could even end up being river if she followed it for long enough. _Where there's water, there has to be people! Water always points toward civilization. Or... was that moss? _Cursing herself for never taking a survival training class in her life, she made a silent promise that if she ever got back that it would be the first thing she'd do. _And I'll buy myself a decent pair of hiking shoes, and I'll wear them to bed all the time, just in case_. She thought as she looked down to the white wool socks she had on, noticing they were already caked with dirt.

Besides the socks she had on a pair of jeans and a black long-sleeved t-shirt. She thanked whatever gods might be out there that she had taken her nap in sensible clothing, waking up in the middle of a forest was bad, but waking up in the middle of a forest in only pajamas would have been a whole new level of bad that she didn't even want to think about.

She ran a hand through her long hair absentmindedly as she surveyed her surroundings, trying to comb out any snarls and dirt with her fingers. When she was satisfied with her work, she hesitantly leaned over the stream to see if she could get a good look at her reflection. Well, alright, at least she didn't look any different. She still had brown hair, her eyes were still green, and she still had one nose and one mouth, so far so good, at least she was still herself. _Who'd you think you were going to be? _She asked herself with a dead-pan expression. _Hey, I saw Freaky Friday. I'm not ruling out anything at this point. _She shot back at herself, frowning. _Oh God, I really am going crazy, aren't I?_

Standing up, she dusted the dirt off of her pants and sighed. "Alright, I suppose sitting here isn't going to do me any good." Deciding her best option would be to follow the stream until she could find either some sign of people, or at the very least a place that could be used as shelter, she began to walk, taking it one step at a time.

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><p><em> Whoever thought the sun was a good idea should be shot. <em>After what felt like hours of walking, her thoughts had deteriorated into little more than angry rants about everything that was in her field of vision. _What does grass even do? It doesn't give me shade, I can't eat it. You're not helping anyone, grass! _If she wasn't tired out of her wits she might have realized how just ridiculous she sounded, but as it stood she was far past the point of using logic or reason, they had left long ago, around the time when her stomach started growling.

As she had predicted, the stream eventually fanned out to where it could be called a river, and the dense forest had thinned out to what could have been considered the right amount of woods for a park. Unfortunately, unlike a park, there were still no trails to be seen.

A low growl made Haruka flinch and put a hand to her stomach. "I need to find something to eat. _Now_." She said firmly as she slowed to a stop. She could see some mushrooms growing near a rock along the bank of the river, but immediately decided against it. "I'll eat grass before I take my chances with those." She made sure to keep within sight of the river, the last thing she wanted to do was lose her only source of water. The soft chirps of nearby birds caught her attention and she followed the sound, coming upon a small flock of birds she couldn't recall ever seeing near her home before, but she shook off that thought when she realized the birds were eating from a small group of bushes they were resting by.

_If the birds are willing to eat those berries then they must be safe. _She told herself, grinning at how logical she sounded in her mind. _I don't even need those survival classes. _She mused as she approached the bushes, frightening the birds away as soon as they noticed her. _I'm probably just as good as the teachers! _Whether it was the hunger or the heat that was getting to her head and making her so cocky, she'd never know. _Haruka Suzuki- number one survivalist in the nation! _ She picked a few berries off of the bush that looked ripe edible enough, grabbing just enough to make a small pile in the palm of her hand. Then she just stood there, staring.

_What if I was wrong? _She wondered, images of her eating the berries and dying all alone in the middle of the woods rushing into her head. _What if they really are poisonous? What if they are a type of berry only poisonous only to humans? What if-! _She would have continued if a loud growl hadn't been the voice of reason. "Fine, but if we die I'm blaming you." She said, glaring down at her stomach. She looked at the small pile of berries once more before popping them all into her mouth. They were a mixture of sour and sweet that vaguely reminded her of the raspberries that her mother used to grow out in their front yard when she was younger, and they went down smoothly.

She was able to find some more ripe berries on the bush that she wrapped up in a large leaf she plucked from one of the many trees surrounding her. At least this way she'd have something for later, in case she couldn't find any more food for a while. With her berries in hand, she made her way back to the river, took a quick drink, and looked up to the sky. The sun was starting to get dangerously low, and with no town or city in sight Haruka had begun to get nervous. She had never been camping before in her life, and the thought of spending the night alone out in the middle of nowhere was not exactly comforting. _Come on, Haruka. What happened to being the number one survivalist in the nation? You should be able to figure this out. How the hell am I supposed to make a fire? _Of course she had heard something about how rubbing two sticks together could start a fire, but she had neither the time nor the patience to be trying something she had no idea how to go about without looking like a complete idiot.

She eventually settled on back-tracking a small ways to where she had seen a large rock formation that created a small alcove that she was sure she could use as some protection against the elements should she need it, though she desperately prayed she wouldn't. When she reached the rock formation the sky was already streaked with shades of navy, and it was only getting darker by the minute. She opted to eat the small stash of berries that she had rolled up in the leaf rather than taking the chance that they would attract any unwanted visitors in the middle of the night, she could always get more the next day when she passed by the bushes again. It wasn't very large, but eventually she was able to find a comfortable position in the alcove, and was thankful when sleep took her before the pitch-black of night could set in.

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><p>If the shooting pain in her back hadn't been enough to wake her up then the sound of footsteps and voices was more than enough to jerk her out of her drowsy state. At first she just sat there, frozen in her spot as she strained herself to try and make out what was being said. She could hear two voices, one she guessed was female and the other was undeniably male, which grew louder as they slowly and unknowingly made their way towards Haruka.<p>

Her whole body tensed up and she could feel the hair on her arms and the back of her neck stand straight up when she spotted a faint light moving through the trees. It was impossible to tell the time of day, but she knew she couldn't have been asleep for very long. If it hadn't been for the rising moon or stars that gleamed over-head it probably would have been too dark to see her own hand right in front of her face. Not that it mattered much, at this point she was more worried about the slowly advancing light-source than the surrounding darkness.

_What do I do? I can't just run out and beg them to bring me home. What if I scare them off? What if they aren't friendly? What if they speak a different language? What if they're murderers? _Haruka's imagination had the tendency to get the better of her when she was worried about something. _Do I run? No! What if they're my only way back home? But what if-! _Too late.

While she had been debating on the best plan of action, the light had gotten close enough that she could hear the two voices very clearly, and just a few more feet and she'd be able to see the people they belonged to, and in turn they'd be able to see her. Their voices were strange to her, but it wasn't that she couldn't understand what they were saying. It_ was _the same language that she spoke, but at the same time it_ wasn't_, she could get the gist of the conversation, but every-so-often a word or phrase would be thrown in that she had never heard before in her life, and their accents were very different from anything she had ever come across.

She watched helplessly as the leaves from the bushes in front of her shook and parted, and she was finally bathed in the soft glow of light. She ducked and blinked to adjust her eyes before raising her head back up to look at her new company. Before her stood an interesting pair, to say the least.

She took a moment to examine the two, the man stood with his mouth agape and his foot in mid-step. His hair was black with flecks of gray in it and he had a thick beard to match, his hair said that he was at least in forties, but his body looked to be physically in its late twenties. On his back was a very large bag that had various odds and ends sticking every-which-way out of it, and he held a lantern in his right hand. The girl next to him was very small in comparison, and looked to be only a year or two younger than Haruka. She held a lantern as well, using both hands to hold it from the bottom as she carried it. Her hair was black and reached down to her waist, and her skin was almost deathly pale. _She looks like a life-sized doll. _Haruka thought as she stared at the girl.

The silence that filled the air was awkward and tense as the two parties took in what was in front of them, and Haruka had the sneaking suspicion that she resembled something like a deer caught in the headlights. She had no doubt that her hair was in need of a good combing, and the dirt that covered her head-to-toe probably didn't help her look any more presentable. After what seemed like ages, but was probably only a few seconds, Haruka let a sheepish grin cross her face. She raised her hand and gave the best half-wave she could muster, trying her hardest to think of something-_anything _she could say to break the tension.

"What's up?"


	2. Civilization

**Author's Notes:** Alright everyone, here's the second chapter. Thank you to everyone who put this story on story alert, and thanks to CrashingUpward for writing a review! I chose to have Haruka not start out meeting all the Naruto characters for a couple reason, the main one being that I know this type of story usually has one of two problems: Either the author tries too hard to make the story exactly like the actual plot and it turns into a retelling of the entire story with their character watching from the side and making comments, or the author starts to focus too much on their own character and the story turns into the main character ignoring everything anyone says except for the main character's love interest, both of which are things that I want to avoid. My thought is that if I set up a strong character personality and maybe a few extra original characters that I can flesh out as the story goes on then when Haruka meets the Naruto characters I will have enough of a feel for her personality that I should be able to focus on making the other characters be in character as much as humanly possible without sacrificing her own personality in the process, because I don't know about you guys but I personally hate it when someone writes a character doing something they would never do. As always, constructive criticism is much appreciated as it helps me be a better writer for you guys. I've rambled enough now, please enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 2:<strong>

**Civilization  
><strong>

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><p><em>'What's up?' That's the first thing you think to say? <em>She mentally chided herself as she followed closely behind the man and girl that she was thoroughly convinced had saved her life. She hadn't been surprised when the two of them had looked confused at her less-than-thought-out salutation, but thankfully she was able to save herself and come up with a better- and more acceptable- greeting, and the rest of the conversation had gone about as smoothly as she could have hoped, given the circumstances.

The man had introduced himself as Kenta Aragaki and had explained that the girl next to him was his daughter, Miyu. He then went on to tell Haruka that he was something like a traveling salesman, and that he and his daughter were actually on their way to deliver something- some sort of package- to a nearby village. He also seemed very concerned for Haruka's well-being, asking where she lived and if she had any parents. She chose to ignore his questions and instead asked him what village he was headed to. Obviously she didn't know the name of every village out there, but she assumed she couldn't have been too far from her city, and if the name did ring a bell she could go with them and find a phone to call home when they got there.

Needless to say, she had been very confused when the man had told her they were headed towards a village by the name of "_Konohagakure_". She hadn't heard of a village by that name in her entire life. Just how far from home _was _she?

Again he asked where she lived, but when she told him the name of her city his face only drew a blank expression and he shook his head. She knew she must have looked pretty pathetic to him. Here she was, a girl not much older than his own daughter, lost in the woods in the middle of the night with no idea where home was, and clearly in need of a bath and some new clothes. _Like a stray dog. _She thought. _But if it helps me get home I don't care what I look like. _He had little choice but to bring her with.

As they walked along she took to star-gazing. She had never seen the stars so bright before in her life, a fact that only made her more worried. _It's going to be fine. _ She tried to reassure herself. _You'll be back home before you know it, and all this is going to seem like a bad dream. _She couldn't help but feel tired at the thought of dreaming. She didn't know how long she had been asleep for, but it couldn't have been more than an hour or two.

Her legs felt like lead as she trudged along behind the traveling salesman and his daughter, doing her best to keep up with them. Kenta had told her that they had no intentions of stopping and that they'd be able to make it to the village by dawn if they kept up the pace. She knew she wasn't in any position to argue with his kindness, but exhaustion was starting to take its toll on her. She wasn't used to walking for hours without any resting, and she was thankful that Miyu had been kind enough to lend her a pair of shoes so she wouldn't have to go walking around in only socks anymore. They were a tight fit, but it was that or nothing so she didn't complain. Looking down she examined the shoes more closely. She had never seen anything like them before, noticing the design was similar to a sandal in some ways.

Along with the shoes, Miyu had given her a new shirt to put on and a comb to brush through her hair. The shirt- like the shoes- was a little too tight, and the material it was made of was less than comfortable, but at least she didn't look like she had been raised in the wild anymore. It hadn't taken long to brush out her hair, but she relished the feeling of no longer having a rat's nest sitting on top of her head. Taking a little bit of water that the Aragakis' had with them, she rinsed off her face and arms as best she could. When she was done she gave a triumphant grin, and the looks of approval from both Miyu and Kenta told her that she had cleaned herself up pretty well, considering.

She felt her eyelids start to close as they pressed on, and she bit down hard on her lip in an attempt to wake herself up. It worked for a minute or two before she had to repeat the action to stop herself from drifting off again. At this rate she was going to end up mangling her lower lip just to get to this village that she was only half convinced even existed. It was going to be a long night, of that much she was positive.

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><p>She wasn't sure how it was possible, but <em>somehow <em>she made it. The sun had just started to peak its head over the horizon when she saw it, although she had trouble deciding just what "it" was. She assumed it was the village they were heading to, but it didn't look like any village she had ever seen before. The entirety of it was surrounded by what could only be described as a giant wall that looked to have only a single gate to get in or out of.

As they approached she took note of the shear size of the place. _This is way too big to be called a village. A little small for a city, but still. _The wall blocked out any view of the buildings that she might have, and because it was so early there was no one going to or from it. She could feel her stomach twist and turn with anticipation when they neared the giant open gates.

When they were close enough to be able to see in she made every attempt to do so, the overwhelming fatigue she had felt only moments before dissolving as she braced herself to see her first civilization since waking up in the middle of that forest. Unfortunately, nothing could have prepared her for what she saw.

It was hard to put into words what was so _wrong _about this village; there was nothing extraordinary about Konohagakura besides the fact that just _wasn't possible_. She was accustomed to seeing giant buildings made out of metal and concrete pushed so close together that one single block could house hundreds- if not thousands or millions- of people. What happened to the streets so crowded you couldn't move a inch without getting in someone else's way? Where did the constant honking of car horns disappear to? And since when did they move Mount Rushmore out of America? Then again, Haruka couldn't recognize a single face on the giant stone sculpture as being a president from the United States, so she really _couldn't _call it Mount Rushmore, not that that was much comfort to her though.

_I'm so screwed. _She said it to herself over and over again until the words started to blend together and it no longer sounded like a real sentence anymore, and then she said it a few more times just for good measure. She could feel the hope that had come with being found by Kenta and Miyu earlier begin to shrivel up as they neared the gates, and felt it die completely when a man who had been standing at the entrance noticed them and approached.

If the man's face hadn't held such a serious expression Haruka might have thought he getting ready to go to a costume party. He had spiky black hair, some sort of boot-sandal hybrid on for shoes, and the lower part of his legs seemed to be wrapped in bandages. His pants were a very dark navy color that ended near mid-calf, he wore a long-sleeved shirt of exactly the same color, and for reasons that Haruka almost didn't care to know he also had bandages running over the bridge of his nose. On his forehead he sported some kind of metal forehead protector that had a strange symbol that Haruka had never seen before etched into the surface. What had confused her the most, however, was what he was wearing over his shirt. It was some sort of vest- that much was obvious, but as he came to a stop in front of the three of them she couldn't help but notice the similarities between it and a flak jacket.

_What the hell? I thought flak jackets were used by the military for protection against shrapnel! Oh God, what kind of post-apocalyptic hell-world have I stumbled upon? I'm going to die like this, aren't I? I'm going to be killed here without any idea where I am or how I got here, and the only two people who would be kind enough to bury my body wont even know what to write on the tombstone. This is it, Haruka, time to make your peace with this world. _Silently bemoaning her tragic end, Haruka had almost been too busy to catch the first part of the conversation that ensued between Kenta and this strange military man, but came back to reality when she heard the man speak.

"Hold on, no one gets past here without permission. Do you have paperwork?" His voice was fitting, the type that made you feel small and insignificant without any effort on his part. She watched as Kenta set down his bag and pulled out a set of papers that he presented to the man in front of him.

Military-man took the papers and began flipping through them, his eyes scanning over each page quickly. At last, when he had reached the final page, he looked up and his eyes fell upon Haruka and Miyu. "Who are they?" He asked the salesman, making a gesture towards the two young girls. "They're my daughters." Kenta said without missing a beat. Military-man looked at the two of them again, and it took Haruka every amount of self-control she had not to start squirming under his intense gaze.

And then, all at once, his expression softened, and he smiled. "I see. Well then, welcome to Konoha!" Haruka let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. _He actually believed him. Maybe luck is on my side just this once!_ Kenta thanked the man, slung his bag back over his shoulders, and was off before Haruka could even blink. She lurched forward, nearly tripping over herself as she raced to keep up with the traveling salesman, taking her first steps into the wonderful village known as Konohagakure no Sato- "_The Village Hidden in the Leaves_".

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><p>To say that Haruka was lost would be the biggest understatement of the year. She was beyond lost. She was in some unknown village in the middle of God-knows-where with no means of returning home any time soon, sleeping in what was quite possibly the most shady-looking hotel room she had ever been in in her life-<em> if it could even be called a "hotel"<em>- with two complete strangers looking after her. Yes, "_lost_" couldn't even begin to describe her situation.

_Ok, so they aren't __**complete**__ strangers, but I did meet them less than a day ago. I wouldn't exactly call them my good friends yet. _After they got through the gates Kenta made a beeline for the nearest inn, at least that's what Haruka decided it was. Upon entering the small building they were greeted by a stern-faced old woman that eyed the two young girls with a look that seemed to scream "_if I hear so much as a peep out of either of you while you're here I'm throwing you all out on the streets", _which admittedly was quite a look to be able to pull off.

Haruka was starting to wish she could just disappear. _What's with this village? We haven't been here five minutes and I already feel like the whole place hates us! _The old woman took some money from Kenta and produced a set of two keys from under the desk that she stood behind, handing them to the salesman before retreating through a door marked "_Employees Only_". Kenta turned to the girls and gave them a broad smile, dangling the keys up in front of himself. "Alright, looks like we'll be staying in number 12! We'll take a quick nap and then you two can help me set up shop, sound good?"

_A "quick nap"? Do these people ever sleep? _She reluctantly nodded her head as Miyu chimed in with a far too energetic "Yes, sir!" for Haruka's liking. _Where does she get that energy? _"Good!" Kenta grinned, and they were on their way again.

What really confused Haruka about the "inn" was that you had to go outside to get to where you were staying, almost like a cross between a motel and some apartments. They took a set of stairs up to get to their room on the second floor, stopping in front of a door with the number "12" painted on it. Kenta unlocked the door, flung it open and flicked on the lights. Haruka stepped in last and let her eyes scan the place, allowing herself to take everything in.

The place was... Well, it certainly left something to be desired. The walls were a light shade of gray that did nothing to hide the cracks and dents that were scattered across it. A wooden border ran along the bottom-half of the walls, coming a little higher than Haruka's waist. The whole place was divided into four areas. The first was a similar to a living room, but only in that it had a couch pushed up against a wall with a small table sitting in front of it. The second area was a kitchen, the third was a door that she assumed led to a bathroom, and the fourth looked to be a bedroom with two beds in it. "So whaddaya think?" Kenta asked as he set his bag down on the table in front of the couch. Haruka had to search for the right words. "It's... cozy?" _Sure, we'll go with that. _Kenta chuckled at her comment. "Cozy, yeah? You're right, it is pretty cozy in here."

She was happy he hadn't taken offense to her comment. It's not that she wasn't grateful to him, she might as well have owed him her life, this just wasn't what she was used to. Thankfully he seemed to realize that. "There's two beds in the bedroom, I'll take the couch. You two go and get some rest, I'll wake you up in a bit." Haruka was about to protest- surely she should have the couch and he and his daughter could have the beds- but the look on his face told her that there would be no arguing and so she gave up, following Miyu into the bedroom.

She didn't bother to change her clothes, that would have taken too much effort and energy. Miyu took the one closest to the door so she took the bed next to the window, sitting on it as she took off her shoes and socks before slipping under the covers. The bed was hard and she had doubts about when the last time the sheets had been washed when a small cloud of dust lifted into the air as she moved the covers, but by that point she really couldn't care less. She had a roof over her head and a bed to sleep in, and for the time that was all that mattered.


	3. Debts

**Author's Notes:  
><strong>Here's chapter three! Thank you to TekTak and 101stardreamer for the reviews, and also to everyone who put this story on story alert. Now, I've been putting up new chapters pretty quickly these past few days, but the updates are going to slow down in about a week. I'm currently on break and I can write as much as I want, but once the break ends I'm going to have a lot less time. My goal is to upload a chapter once every week, and I'll try my best to make them as long as possible, I'm even writing some extra chapters right now just so I have something to fall back on if I have a busy week. I couldn't decide if I wanted to throw in the use of honorifics in this story so I decided to put some in in this chapter and see what everyone thinks, hopefully it doesn't seem out of place. I can promise you that we'll be meeting some of the larger Naruto characters next chapter, and there will definitely be some action coming up very soon, so even if the pace has felt slow so far I can tell you it's about to pick up. As always, constructive criticism is always very appreciated, no matter how small. One of these days I wont have to write so much in this section, but until then please enjoy!

_Otō-san_ - Father

_Onee-san_ - Older Sister

_negi tanshio_ - Salted beef tongue with Welsh onions

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><p><strong>Chapter 3:<strong>

**Debts  
><strong>

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><p>"Just five more hours, <em>please<em>." Haruka pleaded as she pulled the bed covers up over her head. The deep chuckle from Kenta that came as a response to her only served to make her feel more irritable. "Five more _hours_? I wouldn't give you five more _minutes,_ even if you got down and begged me. " _Well there goes that idea then. _"Now get up!" She clutched the covers closer and snuggled further into her pillow, refusing to move.

Kenta, as she would come to learn, was not the sort of man willing to repeat himself. Without hesitation he grabbed hold of the covers that she clung to and flung them across the room, nearly bringing her with in the process. _Well, that's certainly __**one**__ way to wake up. Setting an alarm would've sufficed, but no, __**that's fine**__. I love almost getting thrown out of bed when I wake up! _She internalized her sarcasm, knowing that she had the tendency to lash out when first woken up.

Slowly, begrudgingly she sat up and slipped out of bed, grabbing her shoes and slipping them on. "Alright, alright, I'm up. What do you need me to do?" Kenta grinned and pointed out the doorway at his bag on the table. "We've gotta get that package delivered and set up shop before noon or we'll miss the afternoon rush!" Haruka didn't dare ask what the "afternoon rush" entailed, following him as he grabbed his bag and opened the front door. "Where's Miyu?" Haruka asked, noticing the younger girl was nowhere to be seen. "She's already down there waiting for us with a spot!" _That can't be safe to let a little girl go walking around this village by herself. _So she picked up her pace, wanting to get down there as fast as possible.

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><p>It didn't take them long to find Miyu, who was standing in the middle of what looked to be some sort of shopping and food district. The delicious smells from the many restaurants that lined the streets only helped to remind Haruka that she hadn't eaten a decent meal in more than a day, and she couldn't help but wish she had saved some berries from the bush in the woods.<p>

She watched as Kenta put his bag down in a space between two small stores and proceed to start unpacking. She stood next to Miyu, wondering if she should help him or just let him be when he suddenly spun around, shoving a small money pouch and a neatly wrapped package at the girls. Miyu took the money while Haruka carefully took the package, worried that whatever was inside might be fragile.

"While I get everything set up here why don't you girls go deliver that package and then buy us all something to eat?" _Food and no hard labor? It's like a dream come true! _"Where exactly are we supposed to bring this package to?" Haruka asked. Miyu chimed in at this point, her voice sounding as energetic and excited as always. "I know where it's supposed to go, so let's hurry so we eat soon, ok?" Haruka smiled at her and nodded. "I wont argue with that logic." She let Miyu lead the way, cradling the package close to her as they walked.

"So Miyu," she started when they had been walking for some minutes in silence. "Do you know what this package is?" Miyu turned to look back at Haruka, who was a few steps behind her. "Not really. Otō-san doesn't usually say what's being delivered, only where it needs to go." Haruka looked at her incredulously. "And you've never been curious? Not even a _little_?" Miyu shook her head. "I've never really cared, I guess." She told the older girl as she slowed down to fall into step next to her. "Are you serious? But there could be anything in this package! I could be holding highly sensitive explosives for all I know!"

"Then you better be extra careful with it." _She's kidding, right? Please tell me she's kidding. _"I don't think you have much to worry about, though. I'm _pretty_ sure we stopped selling explosives a while ago... You'll probably be fine." Even so, she noticed Miyu start to slowly inch away from her. Haruka shot the girl a terrified expression, shoving the package out towards her as if to say: "_I like living, thank you, __**you**__ take it!_"

Miyu couldn't help but burst into laughter after seeing her reaction. "Just kidding!" Haruka dead-panned. _You have a dark sense of humor, my friend. That's fine, two can play that game. _"Oh thank God!" Haruka exclaimed, feigning relief. She was going to let Miyu have a taste of her own medicine. "I was worried I was going to lose _another_ leg!" Miyu eyed her with a confused expression. "What are you talking about? You _have _both legs, you wouldn't be able to walk otherwise." Haruka shook her head, shifting the package so that she held it with one arm while she used the other to gently pound against her left leg as though it were made of wood. "Nope, this one's a fake." Miyu's eyes widened as she looked at Haruka with wonder. "What? What happened to it?" Haruka paused for a moment to muster up her best serious expression, knowing she'd need it if she was going to pull this off.

"I had to chew it off." She said flatly with a grave expression on her face. "Wha-?" Miyu started to speak but was cut off. "I got caught in a bear trap when I was playing hide-and-go-seek with my friends one day. We were playing inside the whole time so I thought I'd be sneaky and hide outside in the woods, I knew they'd never look for me out there." She paused for dramatic effect. "_I was right_." Miyu visibly paled. "Are you... Are you serious?" Haruka gave her a long look before slowly- ever so slowly- she let a grin break the tension. "Not at all." And then she broke into a fit of laughter.

"That wasn't funny, Onee-san." Miyu said, a sober look spreading across her features. Haruka was a little surprised at her use of honorific, but shrugged it off. "I thought it was hilarious." She said, unable to wipe the grin off her face. _Alright, that was a little cruel, but I just couldn't help myself! _When the laughter finally died down they walked without saying anything for a while.

Miyu was the first to break the silence this time. "What were you doing out in those woods, anyway?" Haruka had to think her answer over carefully. She couldn't just tell her the truth, she'd sound insane, but she didn't want to lie to someone who had gone so far out of their way to help her out. "I... Don't really know." Miyu raised and eyebrow. "You 'don't know'? How can you not know?" Haruka shrugged. "I guess I'm just lost, don't really know how I got that way though."

"What about your parents? Don't you have parents?" That was something Haruka had been trying _not _to think about. What were her parents doing right now? They must have realized she was gone, had they already called the police? Were they sick with worry? It got to the point where she just had to block out any thoughts on the matter, telling herself that they weren't helpful. "Yeah, I have parents."

"Then why did you leave? Don't you think they're worried?" Haruka sighed, fingers fiddling absentmindedly with the neatly wrapped package in her grasp as she tried to think of what to say. "Like I said, I don't really know _why_ I left. All I know is that I'm here now, and I want..." She shook her head, correcting herself. "No, I _need_ to find a way to get home." Miyu was silent for a while, staring off into space with an expression that Haruka couldn't quite read.

"Ok." She finally said, shifting her gaze back to Haruka. "Then I'll help you." Haruka didn't know what to say. What was she _supposed_ to say? Telling her that she couldn't accept her help would be rude, but Miyu had already done so much for her already. There was no way she'd be able to repay her at this rate. "Fine, but I'm going to have to find some way to pay you back now." Miyu smiled, nodding. "I'm sure I can find something even _you_ can do." Haruka frowned, turning to the black-haired girl with a slightly indignant look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"_Hm_? Oh, look! We're supposed to deliver the package right over there!" And with that Miyu was off, bounding forward before Haruka could say another word.

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><p>By the time Haruka caught up, Miyu had already knocked on the apartment door and was patiently waiting for it to open. Out of breath, Haruka shot her a death glare. <em>"It's right over there" <em>_**my**__** ass**__! I think we just __**ran **__half a mile! And she's not even a __**little **__out of breath. _Miyu stood with her hands clasped behind her back and a pleasant expression on her face, completely unfazed by their little sprint across town._ Am I that out of shape? I really need to take up a sport when I get home, this is pathetic. _She scolded herself, straightening up and forcing a smile on her face to look presentable for the customer.

The door opened slowly, and a woman that looked to be in her late twenties stepped out to greet the girls. She was definitely different from the other villagers Haruka was used to dealing with, with a soft smile on her face instead of a hard expression, but there was something odd about her that Haruka couldn't quite place. "Hello, can I help you two?" Miyu nodded to the woman and gestured at the package in Haruka's hands. "We're here to deliver a package to a Ms. Yūhi!" She chirped, and the woman's face seemed to light up with understanding.

Haruka examined the woman closely, trying to figure out what was so _off _about her. Her choice of clothing was pretty odd, for sure. She wore a red half-cloth-half-mesh blouse with only the right sleeve underneath a broad, white and black material that looked to make up some sort of very short dress, and her hands and upper thighs were wrapped in bandages. Yes, her clothing was _definitely_ different, but Haruka was getting to the point where she was no longer fazed by the village's strange sense of style, so that couldn't be it.

Her shoulder-length hair was a normal black color, and she had the same type of forehead protector that Haruka had seen on Military-man when they had arrived at the village. _It's not what she's wearing. It's not her hair... What is it? _The woman's makeup was simple; red lipstick and soft purple eyeshadow that went very well with her red eyes and- _Hold on. That's not... What... Are her eyes __**red**__?_

Haruka did her best to discreetly rub her eyes, blinking a few times before looking again. Sure enough, the woman's eyes had not changed color. _Colored contacts. Plenty of people wear them, Haruka. __**It's a normal thing. **_She tried to convince herself. It was becoming progressively harder to find believable explanations for all the strange things she was experiencing in Konohagakure.

"Oh, right! The kunai I ordered." Miyu nodded, taking the package out of Haruka's grasp and handing it to the woman. "Wait here just a second, I'll get the money." And with that the woman disappeared back into her apartment. Haruka just stood there, unable to say a word. _**Kuna**__-? No. It's better if I just don't ask questions. _The woman returned, handing Miyu some money and thanking the two girls before closing her door.

Haruka didn't know what expression she was making when Miyu looked at her, but from the younger girl's response she could assume it was some kind of mix between confusion, utter hopelessness, and sweet denial. "Are you o-?" Haruka grabbed her arm, not letting her finish her sentence as she dragged her along behind her. "Time for food! Are you hungry? I'm starving! Where should we go?" Miyu only let out a startled "_Uh_..." in response, stumbling after a determined-looking Haruka._ If I just ignore it, it'll all go away._

* * *

><p>"I go there <em>at least<em> once every time we're in Konoha." Miyu had been trying for the last five minutes to convince Haruka that a restaurant called "_Yakiniku Q_" was where they should get food. The way she explained it, the place sounded like a Gyu-Kaku; a chain of restaurants where you order your food raw and cook it yourself on a charcoal brazier built into the table. "They have the best negi tanshio in the world. It's like _heaven_~!" Haruka watched as Miyu swooned, chuckling softly at her.

"I'm sure it's amazing, but I don't think we can get take-out if everything is ordered raw." She watched as Miyu's face fell, her hopes crushed. "Oh, yeah, you're right." She sighed heavily, her entire demeanor changing in a matter of seconds. Haruka cleared her throat awkwardly, not really liking this gloomy side of Miyu. "But I'm sure we can go there soon! We have to eat more than just one meal a day, right?" And just like that, Miyu had a grin back on her face. "Right!" Haruka smiled, only mildly concerned at how quickly the young girl could be swayed.

"What about Ichiraku Ramen?" Miyu suggested, but Haruka shook her head. "_Ramen_? How would we get that back to the shop? We'd spill it everywhere!" Miyu rolled her eyes. "No we wouldn't. Besides, it's almost right next to the shop, we wouldn't have to walk far at all." Haruka eyed her suspiciously. _Last time she said something was close I ended up sprinting half a mile to get there. I'm not going to do the same carrying bowls of ramen, thank you._

"We're going there." Miyu said with an 'end of discussion' tone, not giving Haruka a chance to argue as she started off in the direction of the restaurant. Haruka sighed, defeated as she jogged to catch up. "_Fine_. But we're _not_ running anymore!"


	4. Questions

**Author's Notes:** Thank you so much to Tektak and catnip689 for the reviews, and everyone who put this story on their story alert or favorites as well! Now, to start off, I can't apologize enough for the wait for this chapter! I knew life was about to get busy, I had no idea it would get _this _busy. That being said, one chapter a week might be a little difficult to do right now. However, I will promise one thing: I will not stop writing this story until it is finished. I don't care how long it takes, or how many chapters it takes, or anything else, it _will _be finished. Now, I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, but the wonderful thing about fanfiction is that it can be changed and redone, so you guys will have to tell me what you think. I'm going to say now that not everything is going to go _exactly _like the real story. This doesn't mean I'm going to be changing around main plot points, everything is still going to basically be the same, but the very small things might be changed. This is so I can make an interesting story that stays true to the original story, but doesn't feel like I'm just retelling it with Haruka watching. I didn't get to do much characterization with the main characters in this chapter, but I wanted to get them all introduced so some action can start happening. As always, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. That's enough talking for now, please enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 4:<strong>

**Questions**

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><p>Much to Haruka's surprise and relief, this "<em>Ichiraku Ramen<em>" place actually _was_ very close to the shop. In fact, you could even see Miyu's father busily tending to a line of customers if you were standing a few feet from the entrance. Miyu took the liberty of ordering for the three of them herself, which was met with no complaints on Haruka's part. _If she's gonna pay she can order whatever she wants, I'm willing to eat anything at this point. _As if agreeing, a low grumble sounded from Haruka's stomach. She smiled sheepishly when Miyu shot her an amused glance, and looked down in embarrassment. The shop owner gave a short chuckle as he went to start their orders.

_I thought we were supposed to be in this together! _She sent an accusing glare down at her stomach. _Maybe I just wont feed you, huh? That'd show you who's boss. _Almost on cue, it growled back at her. She flinched, coughing loudly in an attempt to cover it up. Miyu turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "So what do you guys sell exactly?" Haruka changed the subject, doing her best to hide the embarrassed blush that had made its way to her cheeks. Miyu took pity on her, shrugging as she turned back to the counter.

"A lot of things. We sell anything interesting we find while traveling. We're known for selling some of the finest kunai and shuriken, so we do most of our business in hidden villages." Haruka looked at her curiously. "'_Hidden villages_'?" Miyu nodded as the owner returned with their order.

Miyu thanked him and payed, reaching out in an attempt to grab everything. "_Woah, hey_!" Haruka said quickly, putting her questions about these '_hidden villages_' on the back burner for the time. "Let me carry some of that!" Miyu gave Haruka a determined look, but the older girl shook her head. "You're going to spill everything like that."

"How far are you two going?" The owner chimed in, the two girls looked at him in surprise. "Oh- _um_- not very far. Less than a block that way." Miyu pointed in the direction of the store and the man smiled. "Well if it's that close then I could give you two a hand." He suggested, shrugging. Miyu waved a hand in front of her face, shaking her head. "No, no! We'll be fine. Besides, you can't just leave your shop, can you?" The owner laughed, already taking their ramen back. "I'm sure this place can survive without me for a minute or two. Right, Ayame?" A girl of about 17 poked her head out from the kitchen area, nodding. "I think I can manage this place that long." She said, giving a warm smile. "It's been a slow day, anyways."

"Then it's settled! I'll get these packed up, you two just wait out there." Miyu thanked him a few more times before he could disappear into the kitchen. The two moved back outside and waited patiently, both very happy for the help.

* * *

><p>The small restaurant owner didn't take long, coming around the back with the ramen packed safely in a case for transporting. "Alright, lead the way!" Miyu and Haruka nodded, turning in the direction of the shop, intent on heading that way.<p>

However, a flash of brown at the edge of her field of vision caught Haruka's attention suddenly, and she turned quickly only to stumble a little when something small and furry rushed towards the three, winding and weaving around their legs, almost causing them all to trip. "_What the-?_"She looked down, regaining her balance. "A _cat_?" Miyu asked, watching the feline with an confused expression. Haruka crouched down and the cat stopped in mid-step, its ears pulled back and a distressed look on its face.

Haruka smiled, trying her best to not scare it any further as she offered her hand, palm-up, for it to smell. It hesitated, taking a few steps back. "I wont hurt you." She told it. _Not that it has any idea what you're saying, Haruka. _It watched her for a few moments before slowly it walked forward, sniffing at her hand. She grinned, petting it slowly.

She examined the cat as she began scratching under its chin. It was a dark brown with lighter brown stripes running from its forehead to its tail, and a small red ribbon was tied in a bow around its right ear. She brought her other hand over and gently lifted the cat up off the ground and into her arms, happy when it didn't protest. "What do you think it's doing here?" She asked, turning to Miyu and the store owner- who had thankfully not spilled the ramen everywhere when they were assaulted by the cat. They both shrugged. "Maybe it's a stray?" Miyu suggested, but the man shook his head. "It looks too clean and well-fed to be a stray, but it _does_ look strangely familia-"

"_**HOLD ONTO THAT CAT!**_" A female voice shouted, causing the three to look in the direction the sound was coming from. They were surprised and a little startled to find three strange-looking kids barreling towards them- at least they were strange-looking by Haruka's terms, the other two people standing next to her didn't really seem to share her opinion. Haruka looked down when she felt the cat in her arms start to squirm. The cat twisted itself around to look at the three people approaching and its ears immediately pulled back to lay flat against its head. It jumped, latching onto Haruka's shirt with its claws and climbing up onto her shoulder before she could protest. "_Ow!_" She flinched as she felt the cat's claws dug into her shoulder. _See if I ever pet __**you **__again! _She thought bitterly, watching out of the corner of her eye as the cat arched its back and hissed, looking straight at the three rushing towards them.

_Speaking of_, the three people had reached them already, nearly knocking over the poor owner in the process of getting to Haruka. She braced herself, putting her hands up in front of her body protectively just in case they didn't- or _couldn't_- stop.

A sigh of relief was released when they _did_ stop, just short of crashing into her, all three of them panting heavily. There were two boys and one girl, all looking to be about the same age as Haruka. The one closest to her- the girl- spoke first. "How did you catch her?" Haruka looked at her in confusion. "I-uh... _What_?" _Her hair is pink! _"We've been after her for hours! What did you do to catch her?" _**It's pink! **_"Oh, you mean the cat?" _**Pink!**_ She pointed to the cat on her shoulder, who had begun to growl softly, and the pink-haired girl nodded. "I... Picked her up?" She responded, not really knowing what else to say.

The three gave her a long stare, blinking. "You just '_picked her up_'?" One of the boys asked with a blank expression. His hair was blond and spiky, and his his outfit was... _Interesting_. Then again, all their outfits were pretty _interesting_. "Yes? She wasn't that hard to calm down." Haruka said, shifting uncomfortably when the cat dug its claws deeper into her shoulder. "She got scared when she saw you guys coming, though." She added with a wince. Miyu took note of Haruka's pained expression and she took the cat, gently prying its claws from her skin. The cat's ears still lay flat as Miyu slowly moved to hand it to the pink-haired girl, although it didn't struggle. That is, it didn't struggle _until _the blond-haired boy jumped in front of the pink-haired girl, arms outstretched and a huge grin on his face as he went to grab the cat.

The cat _**lost it**_. It lunged, claws sinking into the poor boys face as it hissed and growled, scratching at him as he cried out in pain. Miyu retreated back until she was standing next to Haruka again, a safe distance away. The pink-haired girl gave an exasperated sigh, using a hand to rub her temple as she shook her head. _It's almost like she expected that to happen_. After a moment she turned to Haruka, holding up a hand. "My name's Sakura Haruno." Haruka continued to watch as the boy wrestled with the cat. _Shouldn't someone do something? _"I'm... Haruka Suzuki..." She said, only half paying attention as she took Sakura's hand and shook it. Sakura then turned her attention to Miyu, who took her hand and shook it as well. "Miyu Aragaki." She smiled warmly. _Seriously, am I the only one concerned that the cat is going to win this fight?_

Haruka cleared her throat and took a step forward, bending down and carefully retrieving the cat from the boy's face. She held it at arms-length, watching as it clawed at the air, trying to get back to him. The blond-haired boy clutched his bleeding face, glaring at the cat. "_Owww_." Sakura turned her attention to him, scowling. "It was your own fault for scaring it, _Naruto_!" She scolded, her hands on her hips. The cat had finally given up trying to attack, but was still staring at this "_Naruto_" boy with a look of pure hatred. Which was an interesting expression to see a cat making.

"Why were you looking for the cat, anyways?" Miyu asked. Sakura turned and smiled as Haruka offered her the feline. She took it slowly, cradling the cat in her arms. "A mission." She said simply. _'A mission'? What are they, secret agents? _"_Oh_, so you're ninja!" Miyu said. _Ha! Good one, Miyu. I like that better than secret agents. _Haruka looked around, a grin on her face. However, when no one looked nearly as amused by Miyu's comment as she was she quickly wiped the grin off. _What the hell?_

Sakura nodded, clearly not finding any humor in what Miyu said. "Yep! Like I said, my name's Sakura Haruno. This-" She moved to the side and gestured at the boy who had been standing silently the whole time. "-is _Sasuke Uchiha_." Haruka could have sworn she started swooning when she said his name. He inclined his head in a halfhearted greeting and made a noise that sounded like a soft _"hm"_. _Not much of a talker, huh? _Haruka thought to herself. Both her and Miyu smiled and nodded in greeting. "And _this_-" She moved to the other side and gestured to the boy still sitting on the ground."-as I'm sure you've already figured out by now, is-!" The boy jumped to his feet and struck an interesting pose all in one fluid motion. "**Naruto Uzumaki!**"He declared, a huge smile that almost reached from ear-to-ear plastered on his face. His energy vaguely reminded Haruka of a certain black-haired girl. Miyu nodded and Haruka smiled, unsure.

"It's nice to meet you all." Naruto leaned forward as she spoke, making Haruka feel uncomfortable as he looked at her with a strange expression. "Um... Do I have something on my face?" She asked when he only continued to stare her down. His eyes squinted and he furrowed his brow. "What's wrong with your voice?"

"_**Naruto!**_" Before Haruka could blink, Sakura had already punched the boy in the head hard enough to make both her and Miyu flinch. She still held the cat with one arm, and Haruka noticed that it almost seemed to have a pleased expression on its face when it saw Naruto's pain. "_Ow! _Sakura-chan, what was that for?" He whined, holding a hand to where she had hit him. "Naruto, you don't just say that to someone! It's _rude!_" Naruto looked at her as he felt where a giant goose-egg was already starting to form. "It's not like I said it sounded weird, or anything!" Sakura looked like she was going to hit him again if the conversation went on much longer, so Haruka decided it would be best to chime it. "It's fine,_really_!" They both turned to look at her. "I'm not from around here, I guess the accent is pretty noticeable."

"_Really_? Where are you from?" Naruto asked, looking interested. Haruka didn't know what to say. When she told Kenta where she was from he didn't seem to have ever heard of it before, and he was a traveling salesman. She highly doubted any of these people knew where it was. "You've probably never heard of it, it's _very _far away."She told them, not really knowing if it was true, but she was starting to feel like it was a safe assumption. Naruto seemed to want to press the issue, but a stern voice stopped him from doing so. "_Naruto_, you're lucky I didn't spill anything because of you or that cat, but the ramen is going to get cold if we sit here chatting much longer." The owner of Ichiraku piped up for the first time, startling Naruto.

"Teuchi-san!" Naruto grinned, apparently forgetting all about the pain he had been experiencing from Sakura's punch. "If you've completed your mission shouldn't you be getting back to your sensei?" He asked him, Sakura gasped. "That's right! We forgot to tell Kakashi-sensei!" Quickly moving her hair out of the way, she revealed a small wireless radio that rested in her ear and had a small microphone on it.

"Kakashi-sensei?" She said, speaking into the microphone. "We were able to locate and capture Tora, we'll be bringing her back now." She turned back when she was finished, nodding to Miyu and Haruka. "Thank you for all the help, but we have to be going now." Miyu and Haruka both nodded, waving as the three took off.

"Alright, let's hurry before the ramen gets cold!" Teuchi said when the three were gone and Miyu nodded, both of them turning and resuming the walk towards the shop. Haruka stood there for a moment, staring in the direction that the three had left, not quite able to make sense of everything. _What the hell just happened?_

* * *

><p>When they arrived at the shop the line that had formed earlier had died down. Kenta was helping the last of the costumers, but took a moment to thank Teuchi when the girls explained how he had helped them. Teuchi waved it off, saying it wasn't a big deal, before heading back to his restaurant.<p>

Kenta told the two girls to find something to do for a few minutes while he finished up with the last of the customers. Miyu protested, saying that the ramen was going to get cold, but her father gave her a '_too bad_' look and shrugged, returning to his work.

The girls took to looking through what Kenta had put up for sale in order to pass the time. The shop itself was little more than a few crates placed side-by-side with a large sign reading "_Aragaki Goods_" stuck into the ground next to it, but the sheer amount of things for sale more than made up for what the place lacked. Jewelry, clothes, books, and and other miscellaneous items covered the crates entirely. Haruka noticed piles of kunai and shuriken on one crate and chose to stay at least a few fee away at all times, eying the weapons with distrust. _Shouldn't those be in a locked glass case or something? Some kid is going to poke his eye out with one of those things and they're going to be looking at one hell of a lawsuit._

The clothing didn't interest her much either, all of it looking even more strange than what the villagers were wearing- if that was even possible. She paged through a few books, not really taking in any information, then she moved to a small stack of scrolls. She took the top one, carefully unrolling and examining it. She assumed it was some kind of map, but of what she had no idea. It certainly didn't look like any map she had ever seen before. She recognized symbols for fire, earth, wind, water, and lightening, but the rest of the designs that were on it only served to confuse her further. One symbol in particular caught her eye, it looked a little like a whirl with a triangle coming off of it and Haruka couldn't help but feel like she had seen it before.

Kenta finished up with his last customer, having made another successful sale. Haruka glanced up for a moment then back down at the map. _Wait. _Her eyes shot back up, looking at the man who had just purchased a scroll from the shop. _That's... _She looked backed down at the map to confirm it, then back up again. _The symbol on those forehead protectors?_

For a long while she didn't know what to say or think, she just stood there looking dumbstruck. Then- all at once- everything hit her. Kunai, shuriken, hidden villages, ninja, fire, water, earth- _everything_. It was all _impossible_. It _had _to be. And yet here it all was, and no amount of denial could ever hope to help her dismiss it. She slowly turned to Miyu, map still in hand, and attempted to find the words she wanted to say. At first nothing came out, her mouth moving silently as she tried-in vain - to form a coherent sentence. Miyu watched her with concern.

What could she say? How could she say it? Would she be able to accept the answers she got? What if she _couldn't_? _What if-? _And then she stopped, letting her mouth say the first thing it wanted it.

"_Where the hell am I_?"


	5. Answers

**Author's Notes:** I was going to post this chapter in a day or two, but I just couldn't help myself. Thank you so much to everyone who put this story into their favorites or on story alert! I spent every second of free time I've had this week writing this chapter, and I couldn't wait for the weekend to put it up. I actually don't have a whole lot to say here this chapter, who would've guessed? As always, constructive criticism is extremely helpful to me, I want to keep making this story and my writing style better for you all! Now, time for chapter 5. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 5:<strong>

**Answers**

* * *

><p>Haruka had never laughed so hard in her life. She gripped her sides tightly as her whole body shook, unable to control herself. Her eyes watered and her lungs desperately cried out for air, but not matter how hard she tried she just couldn't stop herself.<p>

_Why_ was she laughing? _What_ was so funny? She had no idea.

Maybe it was a defense mechanism, one of those _"If I didn't laugh, I'd cry" _moments. Maybe all the stress was finally getting to her and this was her way of dealing with it. Maybe she had finally just gone insane. Whatever it was, it took her a good five minutes to calm down enough to speak.

"Oh God,_ I can't breathe_!" She rasped out between small fits of laughter. She struggled to catch her breath, gasping for air between each laugh attack. When she had recovered enough to sit up straight again she looked at the girl in front of her.

All three of them sat at a table in the kitchen of their rented apartment, Miyu and her father sitting across from Haruka. Their bowls of ramen were placed before them, Miyu and her father's bowls were nearly empty, while Haruka's sat virtually untouched.

The ramen had gone cold long before they had a chance to pack up the shop and drag everything back to the apartment, which was a shame. Even cold it was still very good, it must have been heavenly when warm. But that was the least of their concerns at the time. Miyu and Kenta sat silently, watching Haruka's reaction with concern.

When Haruka asked Miyu where she was, Miyu had been confused. Where were they? In the middle of the Land of Fire, one of the largest and most powerful countries _in the world_! How could she _not_ know where they were? Unfortunately Haruka didn't seem to understand a word she was saying, so Miyu told her they could talk about it back at the apartment. The daughter and her father had tried to explain where they were, going so far as to describe all the different countries to her in hopes that one might sound familiar. They didn't.

At first Haruka had been scared, the two described foreign lands to her that didn't sound the least bit familiar to her. They talked about "ninja" and "hidden villages", about people she had never heard of in her life. It was terrifying, not understanding the names and phrases they threw at her, the thought that she was somewhere unknown, somewhere that shouldn't- _didn't_- exist. That feeling grew and grew until it got so big that something had to give, something _had _to snap. And so it did. Something inside of her snapped and before she knew it she was laughing like a maniac. Kenta and Miyu shifted awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

"Um..." Miyu started, clearing her throat. "Onee-san?" She said carefully, unsure of what state the brown-haired girl was actually in. Haruka looked at her with a giant grin on her face that made both Miyu and Kenta feel uncomfortable. "I'm in the Land of Fire." She spoke finally, expression never changing. It was unnerving, the way her grin never faltered. "The _Land of Fire._" She reiterated, her voice sounded almost desperate to the two people sitting across from her. Then the laughter started again, and she bowed her head to the table.

"I don't get it." Kenta said, frowning. "What's so funny?" Haruka shook her head; soft snickers still coming from her. "I'm just so _**screwed**_." Kenta raised an eyebrow. "'_Screwed?_'" He asked, not familiar with the term. She just shook her head again, unable to find the energy to explain what it meant to him. "Why are you laughing?" Miyu asked, clearly concerned about her new friend's condition. Haruka could only manage a half-shrug. She was exhausted, all the emotions of fear, worry, and doubt having left her when the laughter finally died down. Now she just felt _empty_.

"I don't know." She said slowly, sounding very tired as she stared down at her ramen. "What should I be doing?" She asked them. They didn't say anything. What could they say to her? They were just as confused as she was. "I knew something was wrong the second I woke up in that forest." She continued when the silence had gone on for too long. "People don't just wake up in the middle of a forest without knowing how they got there." She didn't look up at them as she spoke. "I kept telling myself that it was all going to be fine, that I'd be home before I knew it and I could just forget the whole thing ever happened, but..." She trailed off, not knowing what to say next. "I don't... I c_an't_... I mean, I'm _not_..." She stopped when it became clear that she couldn't form a coherent sentence.

She knew what she was_ trying _to say, but she also knew that she didn't want to say it. If she said it out loud then it meant that it was all real, she would be acknowledging everything as being the truth, and she didn't know if she could do that quite yet. At the same time, a small voice inside her head spoke to her.

_**What are you doing? **_It asked, sounding like it was scolding her. _**You've gotten this far and now you're just going to give up? You're going to curl up in a little ball and feel sorry for yourself? **_Is that what she was doing? Giving up? _What else can I do? I can't just catch a bus and go home anymore. I can't call someone up to come and get me. I can't go home. _She told it. _**Bullshit. So the rules have changed a little, that doesn't mean you can just quit the game.**_ It responded._ This isn't a game! _She shot back, quickly becoming irritated. _What the hell am I supposed to do? I don't have anywhere to go, I don't have anyone to help, I have no idea where to even start!_

_** Yes you do. **__No I don't. __**You do. **__I don't. __**Yes. **__No. __**Yes. **__No! __**Why do you keep saying that?**_

_ "Because I'm from a __**different world**__!" _She shouted before she could stop herself, startling Kenta and Miyu with her sudden outburst. Haruka's head shot up to look at the two, having even surprised herself. Had she really just said that out loud? For a moment she considered trying to take back what she had said, but decided against it when she couldn't bring herself to open her mouth.

"_What_?" Kenta and Miyu said in unison after a long pause. _Oh God, they think I'm insane. _She told herself, watching their puzzled expressions. "I-uh..." She fidgeted for a moment before deciding the truth would be best. "I don't think I'm from this world?" Silence. Haruka could have sworn she heard a cricket chirping as she examined their blank faces, trying to find some reaction- _any_ reaction. Nothing. They just sat there, blinking. _Maybe I __**am **__insane._

And then suddenly, without warning, Miyu broke into a fit of giggles. Kenta followed suit, chuckling heartily. Haruka didn't know whether to feel offended or relieved. "You had us going for a second there!" Kenta told her, Miyu nodded. _**Great. **__They think I was joking. _Haruka coughed, shifting in her seat. "I'm not... I wasn't kidding." That sobered the two up quickly.

"You..._ What_? You're '_from a different world'_? What does that even mean?" Kenta asked, eying her suspiciously. She couldn't blame him, she'd be just as skeptical if she was in his position. "I don't really know?" It came out more like a question than a statement. _How do I explain this? _"Look, I know I sound crazy, but it's the truth! This village, this country, this _entire world_; I not from here." _Please believe me. _"I don't know how I got here. One minute I was sleeping in my bed, the next I was in the middle of that forest. I don't understand anything that's going on, I just want to _go home_!" She was almost begging them by the end, silently praying that they would take pity and believe her. She just needed someone- _anyone_- to_ believe _her.

The silence that followed nearly killed her inside. They _didn't _believe her. They thought she was crazy. _They're going to kick me out! They think I'm crazy and now I'm going to have to live on the streets. Why didn't you just tell them it was a joke, Haruka? WHY? _She couldn't look at either of them, even when Kenta finally spoke. "Let me get this straight." He spoke slowly. "You say you're not from this world. You woke up in the forest without knowing how you got there?" She nodded. "You can't remember anything about what happened?" She shook her head. "You don't know how to get back?"

"No." Kenta closed his eyes, thinking over everything. He _hmm_ed softly for a moment. "Well, sounds like you've been having a pretty bad day." Haruka dead-panned. _That's an understatement. _None-the-less, she heaved a sigh of relief. He_ believed _her. Someone actually believed her. She felt strangely gratified. "Yes, yes I have been."

"You'll be sticking around with us for a while then." She didn't want to be a burden, but the way Kenta had said it told her she had no choice in the matter, not that she was arguing. "You're going to have to get some new clothes." She looked down at herself. She still had on the white shirt that was a little too small for her and her dirty jeans. She definitely stuck out in that village like a sore thumb. "I'll help with that!" Miyu chimed in, grinning from ear to ear. "Alright, that'll be your project for tomorrow." Kenta grinned back at his daughter before turning his attention back to Haruka. "Now finish your ramen so we can all get some sleep." And she did just that.

* * *

><p>For the first time in what felt like forever (but was <em>really<em> only three days) Haruka woke feeling well-rested. She couldn't remember the last time she had woken up on her own. For a time she sat still, listening to the birds that sat on a tree just outside the window. Back at home she never slept with the window open, but it was different here. It was quiet. Without the constant sound of horns, sirens, and shouting it almost seemed like a crime to let the peace go to waste.

A cool breeze drifted in through the window, waking her up just enough to get her to sit up and look out. Very few people were on the streets, the rest were probably still sleeping in their beds. The sun was just rising, light gradually creeping into the village inch by inch. Haruka had to admit that the sight was very beautiful, but she couldn't help the homesick feeling that grew in her stomach. It _was_ beautiful, but it wasn't home. She missed the buzz of the city, the sound of cars passing by, the hum of the radiator in the morning. The quiet was nice, but it wasn't what she wanted.

As she gazed down at the streets she made a silent promise to herself; she would get home, no matter what it took. The voice in her head was right, she had come too far to give up now. Besides, she had people on her side that were ready and willing to help her, she had no excuse to sit around feeling sorry for herself. _Come on, Haruka. Time to get up. _With that she pushed herself out of bed, feet hitting the cool floor causing her to shiver from the loss of warmth. _Ok, maybe five more minutes. _She was about to climb back in bed when she saw Miyu stir. The younger girl sat up, blinking a few times before looking at Haruka.

It took everything Haruka had to not start laughing. Miyu had the worst case of bed-head she had ever seen. Her waist-length black hair stuck out in every direction, her bangs defying every law of gravity and sticking straight up in the air. Haruka was vaguely reminded of a lion's mane. "Morning already?" Miyu mumbled, rubbing her eyes. Haruka bit her bottom lip while nodding, Miyu didn't seem to notice. "You can take a shower first." Miyu told her, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Haruka took the offer without a word, stifling her snickers as she left the room and headed toward the bathroom.

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><p>Being clean was <em>wonderful<em>. Haruka sat on the couch dragging a brush through her hair as it dried, savoring the feeling. She had finished her shower to find a clean set of clothes waiting for her, and she eagerly changed into them. They were obviously Miyu's by the way they were a little too small on Haruka. A red short-sleeved shirt that she couldn't get to stretch down past her bellybutton no matter how hard she tried, and black shorts that, while_ thankfully _reaching a little past mid-thigh, were a little tough to get on. She definitely looked _interesting_. At least she'd have something that fit her by the end of the day. Slipping on Miyu's sandal-boot hybrid shoes, she stood up.

_Good enough. _She thought with a frown as she again tried to pull the shirt down, to no avail. Miyu exited the bathroom, having taken her own shower and changing. Her hair was no longer a mess, now laying down straight like it always did. Miyu smiled at Haruka as Kenta walked out from the kitchen, holding the small money pouch he had given the girls the day before in his hands. "This should be enough to get you a new outfit or two." He said, tossing the pouch at Haruka, she fumbled to catch it. "And for you two to get some breakfast." Kenta finished with a grin.

"Thank you." Haruka gripped the pouch in both hands as she looked at him. "I promise I'll pay you back somehow." She told him, but he waved a hand in the air. "It's not a problem. You just keep Miyu out of trouble, deal?" Miyu made an indignant noise at this. "_Otō-san_! I don't get in trouble!" Kenta only chuckled at this. "Deal." Haruka smiled when Miyu sent her a glare. This only made Kenta laugh harder as he returned to the kitchen. "Have fun, you two!"

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><p>"It's<em> too<em>..." She searched for the word to describe it. "_Yellow._" Now, Haruka didn't have anything against the color yellow, it's just a bumblebee-yellow long-sleeved turtleneck sweater wasn't exactly her idea of high fashion- or _any_ fashion, for that matter. "I think it looks cute." Miyu said, pouting ever so slightly. "What about this?" Haruka held up a simple gray short-sleeved shirt. Miyu stuck out her tongue. "That's _boring_." Haruka raised an eyebrow. "Did you just stick your tongue out? What are you, _five_?" Miyu briefly glared at her before picking up another shirt and presenting it to her.

This had been going on for an hour or so, they went from shop to shop trying to find an outfit they could both agree on. So far they'd had no such luck. Haruka preferred sensible clothing with darker colors, while Miyu loved anything vibrant and colorful.

"No. I'm not going to even try that on." Haruka stated firmly, looking at the dress Miyu was holding in her hands. It was a sundress that normally she wouldn't have minded- _if the fabric color wasn't traffic cone orange_. "Why not?" Miyu frowned. "Because I respect myself too much." Haruka had been hoping that they would be able to get breakfast before they went shopping, but Miyu had _insisted_ on looking for clothes first. "Besides, what am I going to do with a dress? I'm trying to get _home_, not find a date for the weekend." Miyu rolled her eyes, putting the dress back. "Fine, _fine_."

With that Haruka went back to browsing through some pants. S_eriously, I know I'm in a different world, but can't I at least get a pair of jeans? _There were a lot of shorts and skirts, and a few strange-looking pants, but nothing that stood out as something she could see herself wearing. "What about this?" Miyu had returned with an outfit in her arms. Haruka looked over each article of clothing carefully. She had brought her some gray pants that had a button and zipper like jeans, but were a different fabric, and the shirt she gave her was a deep plum color. The more she looked at it the more the outfit grew on her. "I don't know-"

"Would you just try it on?" Miyu snapped, putting her hands on her hips. "You have to at least _try _to blend in." Haruka sighed. Miyu was right; if she was going to have a shot at getting home she'd have to learn to fit in. She relented, retreating to one of the changing rooms.

She had barely gotten the purple shirt over her head when a whole new set of clothing rained down on her head. Miyu stood on the other side of the door, throwing clothes over the gap at the top. "Try this on too!" She chirped before scampering away, no doubt going to look for something else for Haruka to try on. Haruka shook her head, letting the clothes fall to the ground before continuing to dress.

The shirt and pants fit her very well. Examining her reflection in the mirror, Haruka might have even gone so far as to say she actually_ liked _the outfit. Not out loud, of course, but in her head she could admit it. The pants didn't fit as tight as jeans did, and they cinched at around the area where Capri pants would end. It was definitely an outfit she would _never _have thought to try, but it actually looked nice once she gave it a chance. A sharp knock pulled her out of her thoughts.

"I want to see it!" Miyu said from behind the door. Haruka obliged, opening the door for Miyu to see. She eyed the outfit critically. "_Well?_" Haruka asked, wanting to know the younger girl's opinion. After a moment Miyu grinned, nodding her head. "Yes, I like it." _Victory! _Haruka nearly fist-pumped in triumph. "Great! Let's get it and go get some breakfast!" Haruka began to shut the door when Miyu stopped her. "Not yet! You have to have more than just _one_ outfit." Haruka groaned. "Can't I just get a bunch of these?" She begged, gesturing to the clothes she was wearing. Miyu looked confused. "_What_? No. That's _weird_. You can't just wear the same thing every day."

Haruka grumbled as Miyu pushed her back into the dressing room and shut the door, running off to find her something new to try on. Haruka bent down and picked up the next outfit off the ground. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>The two girls left the final shop of the day with a new pair of shoes for Haruka. It had taken them at least four hours, but they had done what they set out to do. She now had three new outfits, some new undergarments (that Miyu insisted she buy), and some comfortable shoes. They took a moment to stop at the apartment so Haruka could drop off the bags and boxes and change into something that actually fit her. She opted for the first outfit, slipping on her new shoes that looked less like her old sandal-boots and more like open-toed boots. Fully dressed in her new clothes, she was <em>finally <em>ready to get something to eat.

Miyu announced that she knew exactly where to go, and led the way. Haruka let her drag her through the streets of Konoha, moving and weaving through the crowds of people like they weren't even there. It was amazing how busy the streets could get around noon, and Haruka struggled to keep up with the younger girl. "Where are we going?" Haruka called to Miyu, just barely dodging out of the way of a large man who wasn't looking where he was going. Miyu barely even glanced back as she skipped through the mass of villagers, irritating Haruka with her ability to evade them so effortlessly. "_You'll see_~!" She sang, sending a grin Haruka's way.

_Miyu, you will be the death of me. _Haruka thought as she nearly collided with a middle-aged woman who glared at her angrily when she tried to apologize. It didn't matter what world she was in, some things would never change about people. "Here we are!" Miyu beamed, spinning around on her heel and gesturing behind her. Haruka looked up and spotted a small sign on the restaurant Miyu seemed to be so excited about.

_Yakiniku Q. Why am I not surprised? _"We're going to eat _here_?" Sure it was noon, but as far as Haruka was concerned this was their breakfast, and as much as salted beef tongue sounded like a breakfast food- _salted beef tongue didn't sound like a breakfast food_. Miyu clasped her hands together and gave Haruka a pleading look. "Oh no, don't try that on me." Haruka put a hand on her hip, watching as Miyu kept the face up, sticking out her bottom lip a little for good measure. _Damn._

"_Fine_, but this place better be as good as you say it is." She knew she'd hate herself for giving in so easily, but Miyu had a way of getting what she wanted. At least she wasn't using those puppy-dog eyes for evil- _yet_. And the overjoyed look that shined in Miyu's eyes when Haruka said yes was more than enough to quell her guilty conscience. "It is!" Miyu's hand shot out and grabbed Haruka's wrist, yanking her through the open doorway.


	6. Learning

**Author's Notes:** Wow, this past month has been busy! Thankfully I was able to find some free time this week to write this chapter. Next chapter is where the action finally starts, so I'll try to get that one written and out as soon as possible. Thank you to esmeralda kitty cat, Eternal Cat Moon, and Quelara for the reviews! Also, thank you to everyone who put this story in their favorites or on story alert. As always, constructive criticism is very much appreciated. Please enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 6:<strong>

**Learning**

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><p>"<em>Full~!<em>" Haruka exhaled, patting her satisfied stomach lightly as she leaned back. Miyu eyed her with a smug grin. "_Well_? I told you this place was the best. I was right, wasn't I?" Haruka rolled her eyes at the younger girl's '_told-you-so_' attitude. "Yeah, _yeah_. You were right." Miyu smirked triumphantly, leaning back like Haruka had done. "As long as you admit it." While she didn't like the smug satisfaction it gave the younger girl for her to admit it, Haruka did have to agree that Yakiniku Q had been a wonderful choice for their meal. The food was both delicious _and _cheap, who could complain? Haruka had definitely eaten more than her fill.

"Do you think we should get a little more?" Miyu asked thoughtfully as she stared down at the empty plates on the table. Haruka shot her an incredulous look. "You want _more_? You had more than I did!" Miyu smiled sheepishly, shrugging. "I'm a growing girl?" Haruka snorted, crossing her arms. "And I'm not? I guess I forgot that girls stop growing when they turn _thirteen_." She told her, sarcasm dripping from her voice. Without missing a beat Miyu responded, nodding her head. "That's all right, I understand. You start to forget things when you get old." Haruka laughed. "Touché, my friend."

"What?" Miyu asked, confused by the expression Haruka had chosen to use. "Oh, right. It's just something people say when someone has a good comeback." Miyu looked a little confused, but still nodded. _Note to self: Don't use expressions, no one is going to understand you. _Just one more of those things that she was going to have to get used to. She wondered for a moment if there were any sayings there that were similar to what she had back home, but before she could ask about it a soft but sharp cry from Miyu brought her back.

"Wha-?" She yelped, startling Haruka. "What's wrong?" Miyu immediately moved back from the table, getting on her hands and knees as she peered under it. Haruka watched her for a moment before glancing around the restaurant, silently praying that Miyu hadn't made a big enough scene to draw attention. "Well, well! Hello~!" Miyu sang as she moved forward and reached out under the table. Haruka cleared her throat and shifted awkwardly. "Uh,_ Miyu_?"

Miyu retracted after a moment, pulling something with her. "Look what I found!" The younger girl grinned broadly as she held up something for Haruka to see. _What the hell? _Was the only thing she could think as she examined the white ball of fluff that Miyu held up for her. "Is that..._ A dog_?" As if in response the small white dog let out a short bark. _Apparently we just attract animals._ She thought with a dead-pan expression. _Are pets even allowed in here?_ Haruka leaned forward, inspecting the dog with squinted eyes.

The dog's ears had large brown patches on either one, and its' nose was a dark brown, with the rest of its' body being solid white. She eyed the dog suspiciously and glanced at Miyu, who still had a huge grin plastered to her face. "Why is there a dog in here?" Miyu shrugged and turned the dog to face her, not listening to Haruka anymore. "You're so cute~!" She cooed gently, clearly enamored with the beast.

"Hey, _Akamaru!_" The sharp shout made both girls jump, turning to find a boy about Haruka's age standing a few feet from their table, hands on his hips. He scowled, narrowing his eyes at the small dog in Miyu's grasp. "What'd I tell you?" The puppy pulled its' ears back, whimpering pitifully as it looked up at the boy. It brought the phrase '_using those puppy-dog eyes_' to a whole new level. "That's not going to work on me and you know it. You know the only way they allow you in here is if you promise to keep away from the other customers." The dog let out a yip in response.

_He's talking to it like it understands what he's saying. _Haruka blinked slowly as she watched the exchange go on in front of her, not really sure what to make of it. She took to examining the boy more closely while he continued to scold the puppy. He had on dark gray pants that reached to his calves, a fur-lined hoodie that nearly covered up the all-too-familiar forehead protector that he wore, and on his cheeks he had red markings that vaguely reminded her of fangs. Haruka made a mental note to ask Miyu about the headband later, curious as to why she had been seeing it on so many people.

"So this is your dog then?" Miyu asked, pulling Haruka back out of her thoughts. The boy blinked as though this was the first time he was actually noticing them. He gave Miyu a lopsided, toothy grin after a moment and nodded his head. "His name's Akamaru." He began, and then gestured to himself with his thumb. "And I'm Kiba Inuzuka." Miyu smiled and held up Akamaru for him to take, having been holding him the whole time. "I'm Miyu Aragaki." She said as he took the small dog. "And this is Haruka Suzuki." She nodded her head to Haruka who gave a polite smile and nod in greeting, which Kiba returned.

Akamaru gladly returned to his master, immediately jumping up and climbing onto Kiba's right shoulder. Kiba glanced at his dog and gave another toothy grin, scratching him lightly behind an ear with his hand. "I hope Akamaru didn't cause any trouble?" It came out as more of a question when he turned back to the two girls. Miyu shook her head, still smiling. "Not at all!" Kiba seemed relieved to hear this, and looked to be about to say something when a voice from behind stopped him. "Kiba, we're leaving!" Kiba spun around and smiled at the woman who had called to him.

Haruka was surprised when she saw the woman, recognizing her as the one they delivered the package to the other day. Two kids stood next to her, one male and the other female. "_Sensei!_" Kiba responded before turning back to Miyu and Haruka. "Sorry, I gotta go." He told them quickly. "It's fine." Miyu waved it off. "It was nice meeting you." She was always so formal and pleasant when she met someone. Haruka, on the other hand, just sat there in awkward silence, not quite knowing what to say. Kiba was off with a wave, leaving the two to try to make sense of the strange encounter.

"Well..." Haruka cleared her throat when they were alone again. "That was interesting." Miyu shrugged, obviously more used to that sort of thing than Haruka was. "And what's with those forehead protectors?" Miyu stared at her in disbelief for a moment. "Oh, right, I guess you wouldn't know about them. They're called '_hitai-ate_'. They give them to ninja once they graduate from the academy, so only genin-level or higher ranked ninja have them." Haruka was almost sorry she asked. _Almost half the village has those headbands! _She thought to herself, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable staying in a village with so many _trained assassins_.

"Yeah, _geh-neen_. Right. Those guys." She said after a moment, causing Miyu to almost face-palm. "You have a _lot _to learn, onee-san." Haruka laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of her head. _I guess I do._

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><p>After their meal had been paid for Miyu decided to drag Haruka back to the apartment, promising her that she was going to teach her everything she needed to know. When they arrived there Miyu immediately set to work searching through one of the many sacks that Kenta had left lying around when he unpacked his bag. Haruka took a seat on the couch, waiting patiently for Miyu to get whatever it was that she needed to show her.<p>

"Here it is!" She announced, pulling out a large leather-bound book from a sack. She sat herself down next to Haruka on the couch as she opened it up, scanning through what looked to be the table of contents. "What is it?" Haruka asked, leaning over to get a good look at it. "A book we got a long time ago, haven't been able to sell it yet." Finding the section she wanted she began to thumb through the pages, being careful not to damage anything. "What's it a book about?"

Miyu gave a half-shrug as she concentrated on finding the right page. "A lot of things. It's mostly about the histories of the Five Great Nations, but it also talks a little about the ninja in a few chapters." Haruka nodded as she watched Miyu scan her finger down a page she had settled on. "So it's kinda like a history textbook." Miyu looked up at her and stared blankly for a moment. "I don't... _Yes_?" Haruka shook her head, looking down at the page. "Never mind."

"Right here." She said when she returned to the book, pointing near the center of the right page. There was a small diagram with arrows pointing to different names. "It's the basic setup of the ninja ranks. You start as an academy student, and then once you graduate you become a genin. Next is chuunin, then jounin, then finally the kage is at the top. Of course, this isn't everything. Every village has its' own system when it comes to its' ninja, but this is at least a good summary of the basics." Miyu seemed to be very interested in the whole subject, and was more than happy to give the older girl a lesson on it all. Haruka made herself comfortable on the couch, having a feeling that she wasn't going to be leaving it for quite some time.

* * *

><p>Haruka could barely find the energy to keep her eyes open as she turned another page in the old book, briefly skimming it. Miyu sat in the same position she had been in for hours, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she flipped through the pages of a new book. Haruka watched her out of the corner of her eye, giving up on her reading material. <em>If I move very slowly she might not even realize I've left.<em>

It's not that she wasn't thankful that Miyu was willing to put so much time in to teaching her about the new world she was suddenly forced to live in, she just hadn't expected the whole afternoon to turn into a history class. Miyu had given her the large leather-bound book to look through while she searched the other books she could find for any more information she deemed important for Haruka to learn. The facts were interesting, but Haruka highly doubted she would ever need to know that "_fūma shuriken__ have four blades that can be collapsed for easy storage_" in order to get home. Still, she did her best to humor Miyu and continued to glance over the chapters that caught her eye. Who knows, maybe she'd find _something _useful.

The sound of the front door opening was an all too welcome distraction, causing Haruka's head to shoot up. Kenta made his way inside, setting down his large bag on the floor. He stretched for a moment and looked over at the two girls on the couch. Miyu hadn't even acknowledged his arrival, too lost in her book to care, and Haruka's face held so much desperation on it that Kenta almost broke out laughing right there. "Looks like you two are having fun!" He grinned at the '_this-isn't-funny_' expression Haruka threw at him. Miyu glanced up for a moment to smile in greeting at her father before returning to her reading.

"Haruka, I have a few more boxes downstairs that I have to bring up. Would you mind giving me a hand?" Haruka grinned, more than eager to take a break as she tossed the large book onto the table in front of her and jumped to her feet. "I'll be right back." She told Miyu, who only nodded slightly to let her know she had heard her. Haruka followed Kenta out the apartment door and breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he shut the door behind him. "I see Miyu's decided to teach you all about your new home." Kenta spoke as they began to walk toward the stairs. "She's been reading those books all afternoon. I now know more about the history of ninja than I ever wanted to." He chuckled.

"She loves her books." Haruka nodded in agreement. "It's not all that surprising, though. We've been traveling around like this since she could walk. She's never really had anyone to talk to, so she spends most of her time reading whatever books we come across." Haruka didn't know what to say. She couldn't help but feel bad for Miyu; spending her whole life on the road had to be hard on the girl, not that you could tell from looking at her. Hell, she was better at handling most social situations than Haruka was. The two lapsed into silence for a while as they descended the stairs.

"You know, she really looks up to you." Kenta finally spoke again when they had reached the bottom. A couple boxes sat stacked on top of one another, Kenta grabbed as many as he could in his arms and left Haruka a few of the smaller ones. "She does?" Haruka carefully picked up the small boxes and stacked them in her arms. "'Course she does!" Kenta laughed, slowly turning back to the staircase so as not to drop anything. "You're like an older sister to her." Again, Haruka was left without anything to say. Sure, Miyu had called her '_onee-san_' on a few occasions, but to think she actually thought of her as an older sibling was something Haruka couldn't quite believe. "Oh..." Was all she could manage to mumble out after a short pause.

The two didn't speak again until they reached the top of the stairs and Kenta stopped abruptly, turning to look at Haruka. "I meant what I said before." He told her, his face suddenly serious. "Huh?" Haruka just blinked, feeling thoroughly confused. What had he said? "I want you to keep Miyu out of trouble." _Oh, that. _Haruka smiled."Does she really get into trouble that often? She hasn't done anything bad yet, as far as I can tell." Kenta shook his head. "She's a good kid, she just doesn't think before she does things. If you're going to be staying with us then I want you to look out for her, as payment."

_That's a pretty good price for room and board. _She nodded at him. "I'll do my best." Kenta smiled, turning on his heel and continuing back to the apartment. "Good."

* * *

><p>After bringing in the boxes Kenta went to get dinner. By the time he returned Haruka had succeeded in pulling Miyu away from the book she was reading. The three sat down to a pleasant meal of <em>warm <em>ramen, and spent most of the time listening to Kenta talk about how well the shop was doing. When dinner was finished and everything was cleaned up Miyu decided to change the subject. "So when are we leaving here?" She asked her father, who was busy rummaging through his bag. "Well, I've got enough goods left to last until the end of the week if business keeps up like this. After that we'll have to head out to get more stock."

"Where are you going?" Haruka asked, suddenly feeling a little nervous. They were leaving so soon? She had just gotten used to this village and now they were talking about hitting the road again! "A village a little ways from here. It's small, but they've got some of the best goods around, and for cheap." Kenta told her with a reassuring smile. "Maybe we'll find someone there who knows how to help you." Miyu said, her smile mirroring her father's. It was a nice thought, but Haruka was doubtful. "And there won't be as many ninja." _That _got Haruka's attention. Living in a ninja-filled village over the past few days had made her a little jumpy, to say the least. They _were _trained assassins, after all. The thought of being in a village without them lurking around every corner sounded very nice, indeed.

"When do we leave?"


End file.
